Today’s test was done at 50 yards on an outdoor rifle range. The weather was perfect, without a hint of breeze. I didn’t sight-in the scope before going to the range, so I sighted-in at 50 yards. Luckily, the scope wasn’t that far off, and I was on target in 3 shots.

The 25-yard test that was done in Part 3 showed that only 2 pellets were worth trying at 50 yards. I shot just them and nothing else.

I also want to remind you that the rifle likes to be filled to 2,900 psi according to my tank’s gauge. It has more than 10 shots on a fill, but it does go through air pretty quick. So, just for continuity, I refilled after every group.

JSB Exact 15.9-grain domes
I sighted-in with the best pellet from the earlier test, which was the 15.9-grain JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy. Since the third shot landed where I wanted, I continued to shoot and made an 8-shot group for starters. That group measured 0.961 inches between centers. I noted that the bullpup-style stock made the rifle difficult to hold steady on target, so this group was as steady as I was able to hold. I was fighting the trigger, which breaks at 6 lbs., 10 oz. It’s hard to hold on target with a trigger this heavy. Also this rifle is tall and narrow, so it wobbles from side to side when you hold it. I didn’t see a way around that at first, but then I figured it out.

Eight JSB Exact 15.9-grain domes landed in 0.961 inches at 50 yards. The shots are a little low, so I adjusted the reticle up a couple clicks after shooting this group.

Next, I shot a 10-shot group with the same JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy pellets. The rifle’s circular magazine holds 11 pellets, but I loaded it with only 10 to keep things consistent with most of my other 50-yard tests.

The scope had been adjusted higher for this group, so the shots landed higher on the bull. Ten pellets made a 1.501-inch group. I must comment that during this group I saw the crosshairs move around on the bull a lot more than I would like. That heavy trigger caused it. In the group that resulted, I see 2 separate points of impact that are one above the other. That isn’t what I would expect a sideways wobble to produce, but something was wrong with my hold. I had to solve that first.

This is the first full 10-shot target that was fired at 50 yards with the Rainstorm bullpup. It measures 1.501 inches. Eight pellets went into 0.941 inches.

Toward the end of the first full group, I found a way to stabilize the rifle pretty well. I was shooting off a sandbag rest that helped with stability, and I found that if I gripped the frame tight (where the forearm would be on a conventional rifle) the wobble stopped. That made me more confident that the group I would be getting was what the rifle could actually do.

Following that group, I shot a second group of 10 JSB Exact Jumbo Heavies that measured 1.406 inches between centers. This one is fairly well centered on the bull and doesn’t have the 2 separate points of impact like the first group. I think the improved hold was responsible, although I can’t see why a sideways wobble would do what I’d seen before. Maybe the wobble was greater than I thought?

The second full group was a little smaller than the first — at 1.406 inches between centers. I felt the rifle was held well for this group. This is as good as this pellet can do (in general) in this rifle with me on the trigger.

Beeman Kodiaks
Next, it was time to try 10 Beeman Kodiak, which was the second-best pellet at 25 yards. It didn’t do as well. The first few shots scattered all over the place, landing far to the left of the aim point and also a bit lower. When all 10 shots were finished, I had a 2.32-inch group that looks more like a shotgun pattern than a group from a rifle. However, I must note that 9 of those shots did land in a 1.331-inch group. But the one lower shot that opened the group wasn’t the last one. It was the third shot. Based on that, I would scratch Kodiaks for this rifle and stick with the JSB Exact Jumbo Heavies.

Beeman Kodiaks went all over the target. Ten made this 2.32-inch group, although 9 of them passed through 1.331 inches.

Overall impressions
I’ve come to the end of my test of this air rifle. It’s been an interesting journey, and I’ve learned some things from it. First, when you scope a bullpup, get the highest scope rings you can. Ring risers might be a good idea. Second, the idea that bullpup actions have poor triggers is apparently true. And finally, when the cross-section of your rifle is as flat as a flounder, it will be harder to hold steady.

The Evanix Rainstorm 3D bullpup rifle is definitely a different beast! It holds different and shoots different than a conventional PCP. If you’re looking for the bullpup styling, then either this or the Evanix Max bullpup is the airgun you want. It will produce acceptable accuracy out to 50 yards when you do your part. Just remember that the trigger is stiff and creepy, and the rifle needs a firm hold.

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35 thoughts on “Evanix Rainstorm 3D bullpup: Part 4”

BB I bet the trigger is making things difficult. Now it makes me think about how much the group would tighten up with a lighter trigger.

And you even put the pellets in the pictures this time! So I have to say something about what I see.
The JSB’s look like a shorter pellet than the Kodiak’s and they have more of a round dome also.

Maybe now when you test different guns and pellets that can be something to watch. It would be like a on going study of the pellets you use. You already document at what yards you shoot at and what fps that they produce in a gun. So now a person can actually tell what the shape of the pellet looks like. It be like teaching about pellet design.

Oh and we were talking about alternate types of pellets. And what type to use if they do happen to ban lead. Well I got to shoot my buddy’s FX Monsoon more over the weekend. And I love it. It is decently accurate. And we were not shooting lead. He had (Dynamic PCP-2 pellets that are .22 cal.) That is the brand name and type of pellet. And they are expensive. (24 dollars and some change for 400 pellets). But they shot as good as the Crosman Premiers I had. Just thought I would throw that out there.

Oh and it looks like the skirt is thinner on the JSB’s. Maybe that helps the skirt engage the rifling better than the Kodiak’s when the air charge hits the pellet.
So that’s 3 things that are probably making things a little better on the JSB’s part for accuracy. Ain’t that right?

I love seeing the pellets on the target. It’s a great reference point with the dime especially since we’re dealing with different calibers all the time.
We know and we can see the size of the group and the dime is helps us but I think the pellet help put things in perspective regarding the pellet size.
A 1 inch group with a .177 pellet and a 1 inch group with a .25 isn’t the same to me. I think a pellet should always be on the pic as a reference towards the caliber used.

It doesn’t even have to be the pellet used to shoot the group. There was a guy on AirgunArtisan that machined pellets out of billet to use on key chains or bigger ones sold as paper weight if I remember right. I think one machined pellet per caliber to put on the pic would be enough and would be less complicated than having each pellet used shot with the appropriate target.

I just want you to know, Sir, that I follow every blog you do although I don’t comment much as most of the time I don’t feel qualified to do so. But I soak up all your excellent articles where you so generously impart of your vast knowledge on Airguns.So we have the final bit on the Evanix. I think the groups you shot are quite good at 50 yds considering the shape & trigger. Just to remind you about the article you did in August “Settling into a firing position” for air rifles & that you would do a sequel for air pistols. Hope you find the time. God Bless you!

I was just thinking about this thing this weekend and went to PA and saw it in 9mm. Hmmm… Naw, I just could not get that suspension bridge to grow on me. Now it’s older brother might not be so bad to have.

That is how I look at things. The whole bullpup concept is for quick handling at close proximity. Unless you go to an electric trigger, the linkage will always be an issue. I prefer the sniper concept.

Hey B.B.
I had the Evanix RS II .357 and the trigger was unusable, just to heavy for any serious groups ended up unloading it on the forums.
I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to handle one of the Kalibrgun Cricket bullpups but if you do it will change your mind about “all bullpup actions have poor triggers”. My .25 Cricket trigger is butter smooth and a joy to shoot and .5″ groups at 50yds is the norm all day.

I kind of like it even though I’m mostly a steel and nice woods fan. It just screams “post apocalyptic zombie killer” to me. I didn’t like the loss of the ps90 when I first got it, but it eventually grew on me. Nice group with the exacts! I’ll bet that trigger could be lightened up some of it’s not plastic making them even better. This is another one of those guns for the list despite its low shot count…

And if you don’t want bullpup styling…. It seems to me that this design has been around long enough for it to prove itself and it hasn’t really.

Slinging Lead, I think you’re on to something. What is it that makes one gun stand out for somebody? I have an idea that it goes beyond the rational and measurable and speaks to something very individual. It’s sort of like the way music that one has an affinity for can be regarded as what the individual wish they could be expressing inside. Supposing that were true, what does the IZH 61 say about me? Small, cheap, looks cool (especially with the Bug Buster scope), finicky and requiring patience, highly reliable and productive…. So, what’s your favorite rifle?

As a matter of fact, the IZH 61 has proven itself in yet another way. I don’t know if folks here are in the habit of keeping their targets or some kind of record of their shooting. I’ve never gotten around to keeping the detailed notebook of serious shooters. But if I shoot a really unusual target, I will set it aside. I did the other day and then had a look at the whole set. Zer interessant. The B30 groups from before were very fine and could hardly be improved upon (probably as statistical outliers). However, the IZH 61 groups were large and shapeless. In my new target, the B30 groups are on par, but the IZH 61 groups are much improved. I think I’ve finally done it and got the technique.

I won’t bore with the details, but it’s interesting to look back on the archaeology of the technique. It began with an adaptation of the firm hold of firearms. Then the artillery hold appeared. Then for tens of thousands of rounds I stuck with a complicated shooting sequence derived from Korean archery. Part of this involved a dissent from the surprise break trigger squeeze. Then I did a complete 180 on the surprise break in combination with the wobble area. Then I adapted this to a “squeeze event” and then finally I came up with the new product. Essentially, this is getting all the fundamentals right. Then in my 3-6 second window of breath holding, I adopt my sneering, disregard for results, focus exclusively on technique with good follow-through, and the shot generally lands in place. I think of it like a scene in one of the later Alien films where the Alien is confronting a human victim with wide-open jaws. Then from inside them a tiny smaller pair of jaws extends forwards and Chomp.

Now, I’m thinking of the next stage in my program and am modeling myself in Matt Biondi, championship swimmer from the 1980s whom I heard speak in person. He was an almost Michael Phelps who was expected to break Mark Spitz’s medal count except for coming up short by a few hundredths of a second in a couple races. He said that when he was training, his coach did not care about times but was very meticulous about every detail of the technique. Once that was in place, the coach “gave him the engine” by having him swim 10 miles a day every day from the age of 15 to 25. Looking up my records, I see that I’ve fired of 127,700 pellets since I started keeping track in 2009. I figure by the time I reach 200,000 with my new method, I’ll really have something. Incidentally, there was a downside to Biondi’s fanaticism. He burned out so totally that he undertook a second career as a math teacher on the Big Island of Hawaii at a small school where he had absolutely nothing to do with swimming or the swim team.

Titus, what an interesting place you are planning for yourself in retirement. I recommend you look up the character of Wemmick in the Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations. Here’s a guy with a job as a mail clerk who constructs his home in the middle of London just like a castle. He has a drawbridge, an internal maze to confuse enemies who get inside, a garden to hold out against a siege. And every evening, he fires off a miniature cannon from the roof and lowers the national flag. Sounded pretty cool.

I would have to say that my favorite gun is the TX200. What does that say about me? I guess it says that I am lazy, and generally a poor shot. That’s why I appreciate a gun that does so much with so little skill on my part. It also belies the fact that I am shallow, as I am obsessed with how beautiful the gun is. On the upside, it says that I have really good taste!

I also have an IZH61 which I do like, but mine is more of a plinker than a precision machine. I believe I told you about how I used to use it at work on my cockroach hunts. But my hatred for those things runs so deep that I would always resort to the boot eventually, which has a better kill ratio. However it was very satisfying to see a pellet cut a palmetto bug in half on occasion.

Even though I consider this one of the ugliest guns to come out I’ve been looking at it in .357 cal. Only problem is when you look at it in .357 they jump the price up and make me back away from this gun slowly. I’m not entirely convinced this thing is worth $1.049.95. When I look at this price I start to think the Sam Yang Recluse dual tank is a bargain. I’m to the point where I’m ready to go the distance for a good gun. I’m tired of the chinese trash.

I have to agree with Gunsmithhunter when he recommends the FX Bobcat, and the FX Indy also as great bullpups go. They may be expensive but they are very attractive bullpups and don’t look like they come off the Starship Troopers film set, they just look like an air rifle only FX would build.

Personally i love the Indy with the smaller air cylinder and built in 4 stage pump, if i had the money i would most certainly purchase one. But if you get the chance to do a review on either of these super rifles, I’m sure you will enjoy reviewing it as much as i would enjoy reading the review.

OK. I am looking at the 3D in .357. It is very very expensive for me. But I really want a big bore pPCP. Accuracy to 25 yards would be more than sufficient for me. Looking to pest control medium small pests, I.e. hogs etc…. Before I drop a fortune can someone tell me if their is a better option same caliber of larger with similar size? Thanks guys.

You are asking if there is a small PCP airgun of similar caliber and the answer is no. But you also ask if a .357 can take a hog. That’s also a no. At least not reliably and humanely.

Yes, it can kill a hog, even a 200 pounder. Gamo proved that a .177 can do the same, but no sportsman would ever recommend doing such a thing.

The thing you fight with size in PCPs is the barrel length. Power comes from longer barrels. True a bullpup does help a lot with that but what you really need for hogs is a larger caliber with more punch.

Please don’t spend that fortune and then be disillusioned by all that the rifle cannot do. Yes, I hit human-sized steel silhouettes at 200 yards repeatedly with the very gun you are looking at, but that was a parlor trick — an artillery shot. I can do the same thing with a snub-nosed .38 once I find the range, but I would never recommend trying to actually shoot that far with one while hunting. Or trying to kill a hog with a .38 Special that is far more powerful than a .357 big-bore airgun.

I have enjoyed reading this article as I have your many others. I was wondering what happened that caused the Evanix Max to only come in semi rather than full auto with the select fire? I wrote the couple of dealers (including Pyramid) who sell these guns…and so far have only crickets in response. I hate secrets—-particularly when it is about guns. I know you will simply provide facts without hyperbole as always.

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